Automobile-lamp.



E. E. ALLEN.

AUTOMOBILE LAMP. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 13 1909.

Patented Apr. 19, 1910.

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AUTOMOBILE LAMP.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 13, 1909.

955,493. Patented Apr. 19, 1910.

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UNTTED STATES PATENT @FFTQE.

EGBERT E. ALLEN, 0F ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

AUTOMOBILE-LAMP.

Application filed November 13, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Eonnnr E. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automobile-Lamps, of which the following is a specification.

Automobiles, including mechanically propelled road machines of various types and makes, are, for the most part, required to carry identification numbers to materially assist in fixing the responsibility in the event of an accident or the violation of an ordinance or regulation of a municipality. In some jurisdictions the identification number is required to be displayed upon the front of the lamp, so as to be plainly seen at night. This causes confusion if more than one number is displayed, or entails expense and veX atious delays if the number is painted upon the front of the lamp and is required to be changed when passing from one jurisdiction to another on a touring trip.

The present invention provides a lamp of the character and for the purpose aforesaid having its front formed of a series of number plates which may be readily interchanged, thereby admitting of the identification number being changed with facility when passing from one territory to another.

The invention contemplates a novel form of lamp, peculiar holding means for the number plates and unique securing means for the number plates to prevent any play thereof and to allow for slight variations in the width of said plates.

The invention consists of the novel features, details of construction and combination of parts, which hereinafter will be more particularly set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, forming apart of the specification, Figure 1 is a front view of an automobile lamp constructed in accordance with and embodying the essential features of the invention. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the lamp. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 8-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44; of Fig. 3, looking to the left as indicated by the arrows, the clotted lines showing the top thrown back out of the way. Fig. 5 is a detail. perspective view of an end portion of the body of the lamp, the number plates being released and Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 19, 1910.

Serial No. 527,852.

the body of the lamp. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on the line 6-43 of Fig. 5.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description, and indicated in all the views of the drawings, by the same reference characters.

The lamp comprises a body 1, a reservoir 2 and a top 3. The body 1 is oblong or horizontally elongated and comprises a back 4, a top 5, and a bottom 6. The back f is curved throughout its length, the curvature being uniform and symmetrical from a middle point toward the extremities, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 3, so as to provide in effect a reflector for illuminating the front, which consists of a series of number plates. The front edge of the top 5 is bent upwardly, thence forwardly and downwardly to provide a guideway 7, which receives the upper ends of the number plates. The front edge of the bottom 6 is correspondingly bent downwardly, thence forwardly and upwardly to provide a guideway 8 which receives the lower ends of the number plates. The guideways 7 and 8 are open at one end to admit of the number plates being slipped into position or readily removed, as required. O ne endofthe guideways is closedaby mean s of2xi1i os t 9, which is holloTv'and has ajpjortio n ofsthe side facing aitouyfirhe wlaniipicutaway so as to recefi'e'an end portion ofthe'ba ck' l and the adjacent number plate, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3. The opposite ends of the guideways 7 and 8 are closed by means of a post 10, similar in formation to the post 9, but removably and yieldingly held in position, so as to press the number plates together and prevent the formation of a space between them and also guard against any rattling. The post 10 is hollow and a portion along one side is cutaway, as indicated at 11, and receives the opposite end of the back 4 and the outer vertical edge portion of the adjacent number plate, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 8. The cutaway portion 11 terminates a short distance from the extremities of the post 10 to provide shoulders 12, which engage the upper and lower portions of the lamp body, thereby preventing vertical movement of the post when the latter is in position. To prevent loss or misplacement of the removable post 10 a connection 13 is provided, one end being attached to the post and the other end fastened one of said plates partly withdrawn from 1 to a convenient part of the lamp. The post 10 has a portion cutaway at a point midway between its extremities, as indicated at Ll, to receive the securing means provided for holding the post in place and retaining the number plates in position.

An arm 15 is attached at one end to the back of the lamp at 16 and is provided at its opposite end with projecting portions 1T and 18, which extend in opposite directions. The arm 15 is slightly resilient, being formed of spring material su'liiciently thin to admit of the arm having a spring ae tion. The projection 17 is adapted to extend across the space or cutaway portion 1% of the post 10 and engage with the outer edge of the adjacent number plate and serves to retain the post 10 in place and to exert a yielding pressure upon the number plates to hold them in close relationship to prevent rattling or the formation of spaces between adjacent plates. The edge of the projection 17 facing the lamp body is relatively inclined so as to act by a wedging or cam operation, thereby admitting of the part automatically adapting itself to any slight variations in the width of the number plates. The projection 18 serves the double function of a ringer piece and a catch. In the capacity of a catch the projection 18 is adapt ed to engage the outer end of a housing 19 provided upon the back a and adapted to inclose and protect the part 15 and a spring 20 cooperating therewith, said spring being secured at one end by the same fastening 16 employed for attaching the arm 15 to the back st. Yfhen the part 15 is pressed outward to withdraw the projection 17 from the path of the number plates and to clear the post 10 the part 18 engages over the outer end of the housing 19 and retains said part 15 outof the way, as indicated most clearly by the dotted lines in Fig. 3 and by the full lines in Fig. 5.

The number plates 21 may be of any construction or material that will admit of illumination of the number so as to make the same plainly visible at night. These number plates 21 are preferably of uniform size, thereby admitting of the various numbers being interchanged or shifted to obtain the required number. The number plates are slipped into the guideways 7 and 8 through the open end thereof and when in position are prevented from displacement by means of the post 10 and the securing means 15. When it is required to change the number when passing from one territory to another the arm 15 is pressed outward to cause the projection 17 to clear the post 10 and the adjacent number plate, after which the number plates may be removed and substituted by others according to the number to be displayed, it being understood that a number of plates :21 are provided to admit of changing the number as a whole. It will thus be understood that the identification number may be readily and quickly changed and made to correspond with that provided for the par ticular vehicle or machine.

The reservoir 2 for receiving the oil or burning fluid is adapted to be secured to the body of the lamp in any manner and is supplied with a burner of any variety, said reservoir being removable to admit of replenishing the burning fluid, trimming the wick or for other purpose. The top 3 may be attached to the body in any manner and be of any construction. As shown it is hinged to the lamp body so as to be thrown back out of the way, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 4-. A suitable catch 22 is provided for holding the top 3 in proper position when the lamp is adjusted for service.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and of the method of opeation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation of the invention, together with the device which I now consider to be the embodiment thereof, 1 desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new, is

1. In a lamp, the combination of a body provided with guideways, number plates slipped into said guideways, a closure for the guideways having a portion cutaway, and fastening means having a part extending across the cutaway portion of said closure for retaining it and the number plates in position and exerting a yielding pressure upon the number plates to prevent rattling thereof or the formation of spaces between adjacent edges.

2. In a lamp of the character described, the combination of a body provided with oppositely disposed guideways, a number plate slipped into said guideways, a fastener having a projecting portion to engage the number plate and retain the same in place, said fastener also having a second projection forming a finger and a catch piece, and a housing for said fastener adapted to engage said second projection of the fastener to hold the same out of the path of the number plate.

3. In a lamp of the character described, the combination of a body having an open front provided with guideways and having a back curved outwardly and forwardly toward opposite ends, a number plate slipped into said guideways, a hollow post having a portion cutaway from one side to receive and having a back curving outwardly and forwardly, a post closing the guideways at one end and engaging an end portion of the back, number plates slipped into the guideways, a hollow post having a portion at one side cutaway to receive the opposite end of the back and the outer edge of the adjacent number plate, the shoulders formed at the &

ends of the cutaway portion serving to revent vertical movement of said post, the at ter having a portion at its outer side cutaway, a fastener attached at one end to the body and provided at its opposite end with oppositely disposed projections, one of said projections being inclined and adapted to enter the cutaway portion in the outer side of the removable post and to engage with the adjacent number plate and the other projection forming a finger and a catch piece, and a housing for said fastener adapted to be engaged by said finger and catch piece.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EGBERT E. ALLEN. Witnesses:

J. J. A. GWINN, G. W. MANNING. 

